Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 vs Razor Raven - The Everyday Commuter Takes on the Teen Rebel

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 is the better all-rounder here: more usable speed, stronger motor, longer real-world range, better brakes, and a much broader rider weight window. It feels like a proper adult commuter, not a toy that's trying very hard to be taken seriously.

The Razor Raven, on the other hand, makes sense if you are a lighter teenager or student on flat ground who wants something fun, simple and relatively cheap for short hops around the neighbourhood or campus. It's playful, but its low power, tight weight limit and basic braking keep it in the "light-duty" category.

If you care about daily practicality, safety and long-term value, lean towards the Xiaomi. If you're buying for a youngster who just wants to cruise a few kilometres for fun, the Razor can still be a decent match. Now let's dig into what really separates them when rubber meets road.

Electric scooters have grown up. What started as aluminium toys rattling down pavements is now a serious transport category, and these two machines sit on opposite ends of that "grown-up" spectrum. The Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 is the archetypal city commuter - the silhouette you've seen a hundred times in bike lanes - while the Razor Raven is very much Razor's attempt to stretch from kids' toys into "my first real e-scooter".

I've put kilometres on both, through cracked pavements, lazy riverside paths and the usual city chaos of taxis and potholes. One feels like an everyday tool, the other like a recreational gadget that can occasionally pretend to commute. Both have their place, but not for the same rider.

If you're wondering which one belongs under your feet (or under your teenager's), keep reading - the differences get a lot clearer once you imagine living with them for a few months, not just unboxing them.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

On paper, it might look like an odd duel. The Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 lives in the entry-to-mid commuter class: light, foldable, legal-limit top speed, enough range for typical urban days. The Razor Raven is cheaper and clearly aimed at teens and lighter riders, but the price overlap means a lot of people will consider both when shopping "a not-too-expensive scooter that isn't junk".

They're both relatively light, both fold, both are pitched as simple, low-maintenance ways to cover a few kilometres without breaking a sweat. They share the same rough mission - short distance freedom - but one is built with daily commuting in mind, the other with supervised fun and school runs on flat terrain.

So yes, they compete - not because they're equal, but because your budget will probably force them into the same shortlist.

Design & Build Quality

Pick up the Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 and it feels familiar in an Apple-meets-bicycle kind of way. The aluminium frame is clean, cables are mostly hidden, and the proportions just scream "modern commuter standard". The finish is tidy, the folding joint looks like it's been revised a few times (because it has), and overall it feels like a refined product from a company that's been iterating on the same platform for years.

The Razor Raven goes for a darker, slightly edgier look - black steel frame, chunkier stance, with more visible fasteners and plastic trim. In the hands, the steel gives it a sturdy, almost BMX-ish presence, but it doesn't radiate the same precision as the Xiaomi. It's more "this will survive teenage abuse" than "this will blend into the coworking space lobby".

In terms of ergonomics, the Xiaomi's cockpit is simple but mature: central display, a single brake lever that controls both regen and disc, and a throttle that feels predictable. The deck is narrow but decently finished with grippy rubber. On the Raven, the layout is similarly simple - display, thumb throttle, brake lever - but you can tell this was engineered to a tighter cost: more plastic, less finesse. The Raven's 3D deck grip works fine, but the overall design still whispers "grown-up toy" more than "everyday tool".

If you like your scooter to look and feel like a legitimate transport device, the Xiaomi has the upper hand. The Raven's build is robust enough for its job, but it doesn't escape its youth-oriented origins.

Ride Comfort & Handling

Neither of these scooters has suspension, so comfort comes down to tyres, frame behaviour and geometry.

The Xiaomi rides on mid-sized air-filled tyres front and rear. On fresh tarmac or bike paths, it glides nicely; you get that soft hum and just enough flex from the tyres to smooth out seams and small cracks. Hit cobbles or badly patched pavements, and your knees and wrists get the full city massage. You quickly learn to ride with bent legs and pick your lines - it's manageable, but you won't mistake it for a suspended machine.

The Raven takes a different approach: a large air-filled front tyre and a much smaller solid rear. The front does a surprisingly good job of taking the sting out of bumps; the first impact is cushioned, the bars stay calmer than you'd expect in this price range. Then the rear wheel arrives and gently reminds you it's a hard tyre: sharper hits go straight into your heels. On typical suburban sidewalks and park paths it's still more comfortable than the little solid-wheel toys you might remember from childhood, but on broken surfaces you definitely feel the compromise.

Handling-wise, the Xiaomi feels composed and predictable up to its legal-limit top speed. The deck is on the smaller side, so larger riders will ride diagonally, but the stance is natural and the steering is nicely weighted. At its modest speed, it inspires the kind of confidence you want in traffic: it goes where you point it, no drama.

The Raven, with its big front wheel and rear motor, actually tracks quite nicely in a straight line. The front tyre's size helps keep wobble at bay, and low-ish speed keeps things calm. But the short deck and lower weight limit make the whole package feel more "play scooter" than commuting platform. It's very easy to throw around at lower speeds, great for weaving around park benches, less convincing when you imagine yourself doing daily rush-hour slaloms.

For comfort over a mixed urban route, the Xiaomi's matched pair of pneumatic tyres win, even without suspension. The Raven is clever for its class, but you can still feel where Razor saved money.

Performance

This is where the gap stops being subtle.

The Xiaomi's front hub motor has noticeably more shove. From a standstill, it pulls you up to its speed limit briskly enough to slot into bike-lane traffic. On flat ground, it feels eager in its highest mode; you twist your thumb and it simply goes, without needing you to babysit it. On moderate inclines, it will still climb without turning you into a kick-scooter hybrid, at least if you're within its recommended weight range. Towards the bottom half of the battery you do feel it lose some sparkle, but it remains usable - just a bit less enthusiastic.

The Raven's rear motor is tuned for a different lifestyle. With a lighter teen onboard, it scoots up to its lower top speed quickly enough to feel fun. For gentle neighbourhood riding, it's perfectly fine: you hit Sport mode, you get moving, the wind hits your hoodie, life is good. But ask it to do anything ambitious - carry a near-limit rider up a climb or accelerate hard out of a junction - and it starts to show its modest muscle. Hills turn into "assist with your foot" territory very quickly, and heavier adults will notice it bogging down even on gentle ramps.

Braking also separates the two. The Xiaomi combines responsive electronic braking on the front with a proper disc at the rear. Squeeze the lever hard and you get a controlled, confident stop without too much drama, assuming you're on dry ground and not trying to violate physics. It feels like an actual braking system designed for everyday riding at its maximum speed.

The Raven relies on an electronic brake plus a classic stomp-on-the-fender backup. The electronic brake is smooth enough for routine slowing, and for its lower top speed it does the job. But when you really want to scrub speed quickly, you either accept longer stopping distances or bring your back foot into the game. It's fine for family-pace paths and cul-de-sacs; in real traffic, it starts to feel basic.

If you prioritise punchy acceleration, usable torque on inclines and adult-grade braking, the Xiaomi is clearly ahead. The Raven's performance is acceptable for its role, but it very deliberately stays in the "safe and mild" zone.

Battery & Range

Both scooters are modestly endowed in battery terms, but again, what they do with it is quite different.

The Xiaomi's pack, while not huge, gives you a comfortable buffer for daily urban errands. Used like most people ride - full speed on the flat, some stops, the occasional incline - you can expect a solid mid-teens of kilometres without nursing it, and closer to twenty if you're lighter or ride more gently. Once you learn its habits, range anxiety mostly disappears for typical city commutes of a few kilometres each way, as long as you plug it in at home or at work. The scooter also lets you tweak regenerative braking, which can stretch things a little in stop-start traffic.

The Raven's smaller, lower-voltage pack is very much a short-hop specialist. Keep it in its slowest mode on perfect flats and you can stretch its legs, but in the real world - Sport mode, a bit of wind, some gentle slopes - you're realistically looking at a comfortable single-digit or low-double-digit range before the fun dials back. For a teen looping around a neighbourhood, that's enough. For a commuter trying to do an out-and-back trip across town, it gets tight fast unless distances are very short.

Charging times are in the same broad ballpark: both are "overnight or half a day on the charger" devices, not something you meaningfully top up over a coffee. But the Xiaomi's extra range per charge makes that downtime feel more worthwhile, whereas with the Raven you're plugging in a lot for relatively few kilometres, especially if you're anywhere near its weight ceiling.

In practice: Xiaomi feels like a small EV; the Raven feels like an electric toy that happens to replace a few bus trips if you live close enough.

Portability & Practicality

Here the two are actually closer than you'd think - on paper at least.

The Xiaomi is light for a "serious" scooter. Fold the stem, hook the bell into the rear mudguard, grab the bar and you can carry it up a couple of flights without regretting your life choices. In and out of car boots, up onto train platforms, under desks - it behaves well, and the folded package is compact enough not to annoy fellow commuters too much.

The Raven is slightly lighter again, and you feel that when you pick it up. For teens, that matters; they can fold it, hoist it into the hallway or lug it up school stairs without asking for help. The folding system is quick and straightforward, and the whole thing packs down into an easy, not-too-long bundle.

The difference is what you get once you unfold them. The Xiaomi gives you practical speed, better brakes, higher load capacity and a stronger feel of "I can actually use this every day." The Raven gives you lower speed, stricter weight limits and less braking performance. Carrying them feels similar; living with them is where they diverge.

If your main use case is multimodal commuting - bus + scooter, train + scooter - and you're an adult, the Xiaomi's practicality advantage is obvious. If your goal is simply "something my kid can fold, carry into school and back, and do a few kilometres on," the Raven holds its own.

Safety

Safety is more than just brakes, but we'll start there because they're fundamental.

The Xiaomi's dual-system braking - strong electronic assistance on the front and a proper rear disc - gives you a reassuringly adult stopping experience. Panic stops still need judgement (it's a small-wheeled scooter, not a sport motorbike), but you have real bite available and reasonably good modulation. For commuting in mixed traffic, that matters a lot.

The Raven's hand-operated electronic brake plus fender brake gives redundancy, which is good, but not the same level of stopping control. For the speeds it reaches in the hands of a light teen, it's serviceable. Push it towards heavier riders or emergency stops on dodgy surfaces, and it feels more like a compromise - something you adapt to rather than something that instils instinctive confidence.

Lighting is another key piece. Xiaomi gives you a decent headlight and generous reflectors all around, plus a more visible rear light than older generations. It's fine for being seen and okay for seeing the immediate few metres ahead, though I'd still add an extra light for serious night riding. The Raven has an integrated headlight, which is commendable at its price, but rear visibility relies more on being cautious and presumably adding your own reflectors or light if riding in the dark - not ideal for unsupervised teens.

Then there's stability and structure. Xiaomi's long experience in this form factor shows in the way the scooter behaves near its top speed: it stays composed, the stem feels solid, and the deck gives you just enough room to plant yourself. Razor's steel frame certainly feels strong, and that big front wheel does help with stability, but the overall package is tuned for milder speeds, lighter riders and less demanding scenarios.

Put bluntly: for adult commuting, the Xiaomi's safety package is more convincing. For supervised, relatively slow riding by lighter teens, the Raven is acceptable - but it doesn't invite you to stretch its comfort zone, and that's probably intentional.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

There's a clear price gap: the Razor Raven undercuts the Xiaomi by a noticeable margin. On a pure "what's the lowest number on the receipt?" basis, the Raven wins. For a birthday present or a first electric scooter for a teen, that alone can tip the scales.

But value is what you get for that money, not just what you pay. With Xiaomi, you're buying into the default template for the class: proven platform, strong parts availability, grown-up performance, good brakes and a scooter that remains useful as your needs evolve. It's not perfect, but it feels like money spent on transport, not just entertainment.

The Raven gives you good build for the money, a big front wheel, a recognisable brand and enough performance for flat-ground fun within its rider limits. Yet you're also buying into stricter constraints: lower speed, weaker hill ability, tight max load, and a ceiling on how "serious" your usage can be. The numbers in the spec sheet look okay in isolation, but in real-world use the Xiaomi's extra capability is obvious and, over time, often worth the extra cash.

If your use case is genuinely light and short-range - and especially if the rider is a teen - the Raven's price makes sense. For almost any adult who plans to rely on the scooter regularly, the Xiaomi's higher ticket still looks like the smarter investment.

Service & Parts Availability

This is one of Xiaomi's quiet trump cards. Its scooters are everywhere, which means parts are everywhere. Tyres, tubes, brakes, stems, dashboards - you can find official and aftermarket bits in bike shops, online marketplaces, and specialist scooter stores. If you're even moderately handy with tools, most common repairs are a YouTube tutorial away.

Razor, being a big brand, also has better support than the typical anonymous import. You can get chargers, some spares and warranty support through mainstream retailers. But the Raven simply doesn't have the same ecosystem of third-party parts, tuning options and community guides. When something outside the usual consumables fails, you're more at the mercy of official channels and whatever they choose to stock.

For a teen's occasional scooter, that may be acceptable. For a daily commuter you expect to keep for years, Xiaomi's ecosystem advantage is significant.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If we ignore age labels and marketing gloss and focus on how these feel on the road, the Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 is simply the more complete machine. It accelerates with more confidence, maintains cruising speed more willingly, stops harder, carries heavier riders and covers significantly more distance per charge. It also lives in a healthier ecosystem of spare parts, mods and community knowledge, which matters once the honeymoon period ends and the first puncture or worn brake pad appears.

The Razor Raven is likeable in its own way. For lighter teens or students riding short, flat routes, it's a fun introduction to electric scooters: compact, not intimidating, reasonably comfortable up front and backed by a brand parents generally trust. As long as expectations are kept firmly within its limits - modest speed, modest hills, modest rider weight - it does the job.

But if you're an adult looking for an everyday runabout - something to genuinely replace a chunk of your public transport or car mileage - the Xiaomi is the clear choice here. It's not a perfect scooter, and it won't blow your socks off, but it behaves like a sensible commuter should. The Raven, by contrast, feels like something you outgrow once you start taking scooting seriously.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics show how efficiently each scooter converts money, weight, power and battery into speed and range. Lower cost and weight per Wh or per kilometre mean better "bang for your buck" or "bang for your back". Wh per km shows pure energy efficiency, while power-to-speed and weight-to-power capture how strong and lively the scooter feels for its size. Average charging speed simply reflects how quickly energy flows back into the battery when plugged in.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the XIAOMI Mi Electric Scooter 3 scores 8 points against the RAZOR Raven's 2. In the Author's Category Battle, the XIAOMI Mi Electric Scooter 3 gets 36 ✅ versus 6 ✅ for RAZOR Raven (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: XIAOMI Mi Electric Scooter 3 scores 44, RAZOR Raven scores 8.

Based on the scoring, the XIAOMI Mi Electric Scooter 3 is our overall winner. Between these two, the Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter 3 simply feels more grown up - not because it's flashy, but because it quietly does almost everything you actually need a daily scooter to do. It may not be thrilling, yet it earns trust with every uneventful commute. The Razor Raven brings smiles in the right context, especially for lighter, younger riders, but its limitations show up quickly once you try to lean on it as real transport. If you want a scooter you'll still be happy with a year from now, the Xiaomi is the one that's far more likely to keep you rolling rather than gathering dust in the garage.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.